ERLING HAALAND proved he is still in Ruud health with a clinical winner here.And in doing so, the Manchester City talisman became only the second player ever to score 20 goals or more in each of his first three Premier League seasons.GettyErling Haaland smashed the winner for Man City[/caption]AlamyHaaland’s strike was his first in the Premier League since February 2[/caption]He followed in the footsteps of Ruud van Nistelrooy, who managed the feat on the other side of Manchester at United from 2001-02 to 2003-04.Haaland had not played a second of City’s last two fixtures, which were chastening defeats to Real Madrid in the Champions League and Prem champions-elect Liverpool.But he was back in action at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, taking just 12 minutes to wrap up the three points and match Van Nistelrooy’s haul.With Mo Salah’s godlike exploits this term it has been easy to overlook Haaland’s output, and even more so when you consider what the Norwegian himself has previously achieved.This is a man, after all, who hit an unprecedented 36 goals in 35 games during his first league season with City, helping his side to the treble.Yet Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou still billed Haaland as “the premier striker in world football” in the build-up to this game – and it was City’s No9 who proved the difference maker.Tottenham went into this game knowing that a victory would see them become the first team to do the double over both Manchester clubs in a Premier League season.Not only that, but three points would mean they had won six games out of six against City and United – having dumped both of them out of the Carabao Cup.Spurs should have been further behind as City missed chancesReutersBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSYet fans were sceptical it would happen on seeing the team sheet, given Postecoglou’s surprise benching of star man Dejan Kulusevski, captain Son Heung-min and the in-form Djed Spence.The trio have played a lot over the last few months when many of Spurs’ first-team squad have been injured. But with no FA Cup game at the weekend after Aston Villa dumped them out in the fourth round earlier this month, the trio’s axing was a shock.Among those to take their places were Wilson Odobert, who had become Mr Invisible after signing for £30million from Burnley in the summer on account of a crocked hamstring.The Frenchman, 20, suffered the injury on his last start before this one which came in September in the Carabao Cup at Coventry.He showed a fleet-of-foot early on here which hinted at his potential.But in truth, Spurs’ starting front three of Odobert, Mathys Tel and Brennan Johnson looked raw, ineffectual and easy for City’s defence to handle.Pep Guardiola’s attack, in contrast, caused their hosts all sorts of problems.When Jeremy Doku is on his game he is electric – and he certainly was City’s bright spark here.The Belgian gave former City man Pedro Porro all manner of problems with his speed and close control.And it was Doku who teed up Haaland for the early opener.City countered devastatingly as Savinho found Haaland who shipped it on to Doku out wide via Nico Gonzalez.The former Rennes wideman sent in a cross that took a nick off Johnson’s boot, diverting it to Haaland who calmly stroked past Guglielmo Vicario for his 20th league goal of the season.GettyMathys Tel shows Tottenham’s frustration[/caption]That was the only goal of the first half but Guardiola knew his side should have had one more, at least.Doku tested Vicario with a stinger from range before fizzing in a cross that an unmarked Savinho should have fired home at the far post, but the Brazilian skied his shot.The Doku-Haaland partnership nearly paid off again when the former cut the ball back again for the burly Norwegian, but he could not beat Vicario this time.Then there was the counter in injury-time started by Doku seizing on a poor short corner from James Maddison, but ended with Matheus Nunes failing to pick out either Haaland or Savinho.As for Spurs, they offered little, save for a fine header from Kevin Danso near the edge of the area which had Ederson scrambling to tip over his bar.Yet Postecoglou persevered with his toothless trio up top into the second half – and it almost paid off ten minutes later.Porro delivered a delicious cross which Tel was inches away from converting but it passed him by, only for Odobert at the back post to steer the ball wide.Postecoglou waited until the 66th minute before finally making a change – and made four of them.Son, Kulusevski, Spence and Pape Matar Sarr all entered the fray as Spurs, who were having their best spell of the game, hunted for a leveller.Instantly the latter two combined when Spence squared for Sarr but the young Senegalese saw his shot deflected wide.Son had his chance to equalise too with seven minutes to go, but the South Korean icon struck Johnson’s cut-back straight at Ederson.Haaland thought he had made it 21 league goals for the campaign in injury time but after a farcically-long time, VAR chalked it off for handball.Sarr had a chance to capitalise but headed over in the eighth-minute of stoppage time, ensuring the day belonged to City’s pony-tailed super striker.Match Stats